eden-magazine-issue-26-summer-2015

Inside this issue...Dinosaurs UncoveredPukka Fairwild15 Years at EdenEnterprising communitiesSummer 2015 | Issue 26 | £3

Summer 2015 Issue 26Front cover: An inquisitive Australovenatormeets some admirers. Photo: Steve Tanner.Back cover: Horticulturalist Lucy Wengerand friends. Photo: Steve TannerEden Magazine is published byEden Project MembershipEden Project, Bodelva, St AustellCornwall PL24 2SG UKAll profits go to the charitable work of theEden Trust, registered charity No. 1093070.Contact +44 (0)1726 811932EditorRob LoweAssistant EditorMike PettyDesignThe Eden Project Design TeamThis summer sees the launch of ournew Eden Project Membership schemewith a host of new benefits. On page12 Rose Cashman-Pugsley takes usthrough the process of redefiningour relationship with our supportersand shows just how importantMembership is to our charitable aimsand ambitions.The programme of events thatour hardworking Site Wide Live teamput before the public has the sameeducational purpose as our charitableprogrammes. This year alone StrangeScience has shown another generationof children just how weird our worldis, and some of the tools we use todiscover it, and our Green FingersFestival in conjunction with ouramazing Green Team has introducedpeople of all ages to the pleasures ofgrowing your own. In this issue we talkto some of the team about their biggestchallenge yet, bringing DinosaurUproar to Eden. If you think thatdinosaurs are just for kids, think again– there is a serious message behindthe fun. Sixty-five million years agothe dinosaurs disappeared from theearth for good in one of the five greatextinction events, most likely due toa meteor strike and its after effects.According to scientists at some of thetop American universities, mankindis already having a similar effect – weare causing the sixth great extinctionevent right now.People will not save what theydon’t value, and that’s why the EdenProject site is designed to expose thehidden connections between us andthe living world. But our work goesbeyond revealing our place in the webof life; we must work together if we areto make a difference, and that meansfostering a sense of community. OurMembers are part of that communityand we like to think that they havealways understood Eden’s broaderpurpose, whether it’s bringingcommunities together through the BigLunch, creating community leadersthrough Big Lunch Extras or helpingschool children in Kenya get the skillsand knowledge they need to grow theirown food and sustain themselves.That’s why our Members areso important to us and why we areactively recruiting like-minded peoplewho want to make a difference. Thenew benefits our Members receiveare a reward for their support, forunderstanding what it is that makesthe Eden Project special: it’s not theBiomes (marvellous though they are),it’s the ideas and the opportunityto talk to people in plain Englishabout the world they live in and thedifference they can make.There is a sign beside the entranceto Eden that says, ‘We are ordinarypeople trying to change the world. Joinus.’ There has never been a better time.Rob LoweEditorPrinted locally byFour Way Print Limited, Cornwall.

Regulars4 News6 Horticultural highlights27 The Eden Crossword28 Reviews30 DiaryFeatures8 Dinosaurs UncoveredRob Lowe12 Eden Project MembershipRose Cashman-Pugsley14 Fifteen years in the pitJessi Hill16 From bottles to boardshortsLou Herring18 Plants and pedal-powerPam Horton21 Wild is the windNeil Fox24 Enterprising communitiesRob Lowe3

Eden Project Summer Garden PartyDr Robert Kirby-Harris (Chairman of Cornwall Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty), Barbara Corbett (ChairmanCornwall WI), Geoffrey Corbett, Abigail Kirby-Harris (Chair of the Cornwall Branch of the Women’s Corona Society)On Wednesday 10 June Eden Trustee Lady Mary Holborow kindly hosted the third annual Eden Project SummerGarden Party. Over 250 supporters, donors and partners joined us in the evening sunshine of the Outdoor Gardens and theMediterranean Biome to hear directors Peter Stewart and Gordon Seabright discuss the highlights of the previous year. Inthe last 12 months we launched Eden Project Learning, opened our new permanent exhibition ‘Invisible You-The HumanMicrobiome’, successfully delivered The Big Lunch 2015 and were awarded the Best UK Leisure Attraction for the fourthconsecutive year. The evening was also an opportunity to look ahead to the forthcoming year as we launched our new EdenProject Membership scheme and gave a hint as to what was in store this summer with our Dinosaur Uproar programme.The evening marked the standing-down of Sir Anthony Salz as chair of the Eden trustees, and welcomed new chair EdwardBenthall. It was a wonderful evening to celebrate our recent successes and was very generously supported by our eventsponsors Pukka Herbs, Roskilly’s, St Austell Brewery, Plough to Plate, Cornish Orchards, Hendrick’s Gin, TrewithenDairy, Peck & Strong and Westcountry Fruit Sales. - Rose Cashman-PugsleyJane Hartley (Cornwall Community Fund), Mark Goodwin (University of Exeter), Amanda Rolls (StephensScown), Nicky Marquis (Cornwall Community Fund), Daphne Skinnard (BBC Radio Cornwall)Artist Kurt Jackson and Colonel Edward Bolitho4

Eden Project website becomes more user-friendlyYou might have noticed that the Eden Project website- www.edenproject.com - has looked significantlydifferent since April. It’s the culmination of a year’s workby the Eden Digital Team alongside Nomensa, an externaldigital agency based in Bristol.A major aim of the project to update the website wasto make it more user-friendly, especially to those viewingit on smartphones and tablets, which can account for upto half of traffic to the website. Try it out on one of thesedevices and you’ll see how much easier it is to browse.In addition to an improved user experience, thewebsite also boasts a fresh new design that really helpsto show how amazing Eden is. Through the use oflarge photos, we’ve tried to convey the grand scale ofthe site and its transformation from former clay pit tohorticultural paradise, particularly on the homepage.Illustrated plant motifs that display the Fibonaccisequence of opposing spirals can be seen throughout thewebsite, echoing the structure of the Core building here atEden.We’ve also worked hard to convey the message thatwe’re a charity whose impact spreads far beyond thevisitor attraction in Bodelva.We very much welcome feedback from EdenMagazine readers. Please have a look around the websiteand let us know what you think by emailing yourcomments to webteam@edenproject.comTom Trinkle, Digital Content ManagerGet mud between your toesEden has introduced several new playareas to the site this summer that allowvisitors of all ages and abilities to reallyinteract with the landscape. A set of PlayfulSteps up to the Visitor Centre allow peopleto scramble up and down, and we haveintroduced a barefoot trail to encouragepeople to take their shoes and socks off andget mud (and other things) between theirtoes. Explains Jo Elworthy, Eden’s Directorof Interpretation, ‘Playing in nature isa vital part of childhood, and integralto Eden. We want to create more playfulareas for our visitors and get people outsideinteracting with nature.’5

HorticulturalHighlightsSummer 2015 (July, August, September)Enjoy Eden’s gardens in all their midsummer splendour;walk with dinosaurs in steamy jungles, and celebratenature’s bounty.The Outdoor Gardens in July offer a veritable feastof sensory experiences, and nothing evokes summer inEnglish gardens quite like the sweet pea – deliciouslyscented, delicate and colourful, and the more youpick them, the more they flower. Wander through themagnificent rose arbour, or travel to our very own cornerof Provence and breathe in the intoxicating perfume oflavender. Blue agapanthus are in full bloom, with theirexplosions of tiny star-like flowers – you may be surprisedto hear these beautiful plants are considered invasive weedsDahlia Juul’s Allstarin Australia and in their native South Africa. August seesdrifts of wildflowers, alive with bees and butterflies, andcarnivorous Sarracenias are in full pitcher by the boggarden, a favourite haunt of several species of dragonfly.Across site, the crop gardens are at their productive best,showcasing vegetables, herbs, spices, fruits and grains fromaround the world. In September, our stunning collection ofdahlias is not to be missed, and wheat and barley are ripeand ready for gathering in under a late, summer sun.The exotic perfume of giant Burmese honeysuckle,dripping with nectar, awaits visitors to the MediterraneanBiome in July, along with the sweet floral scent of Spanishbroom, while the exuberance and colour of Bougainvilleaand sunflowers set the centre of the Biome alight. Lookout for the jewel-like Cape gooseberries, used by Tony, ourSarracenia Strelitzia Cac6

Capsicum NuMexchef, to decorate his delicious desserts, and don’t miss thegrapevines – they are set to give us a vintage harvest thisyear. Feel the heat in September, provided by a spicy cropof red hot chilli peppers, in a myriad of colours, shapesand flavours – you won’t find many of these in your localsupermarket. Our chefs will be harvesting them for theirculinary delights, but beware – some chillies are just too hotto handle!Flowers of the beautiful torch ginger light up theRainforest Biome in July, and the purple-fruited ‘RedDakka’ is just one of our stunning varieties of banana,looking great at this time of year. Step back in time andwalk with dinosaurs through steamy jungles and amazinglost worlds filled with luxuriant ferns, giant horsetails,ginkgos and cycads - plants that were around whendinosaurs stalked the planet! Amazonia is home to thebeautiful Albizia saman, now in full flower, and if youventure up to the canopy walkway, you can gaze down inwonder at the Biome’s biggest ‘rain trees’. In September,cocoa is fruiting up nicely – a must for chocolate lovers– and in Malaysia, the paddy rice is ready to harvest.Throughout the Biome Hibiscus, the iconic flower of thetropics, is at its exotic best.Take time to explore the Outer Estate, with its nativetrees and shrubs, and glorious wildflower meadows – inSeptember, you may be lucky enough to catch a glimpseof one of our team using a scythe – the environmentallyfriendlyway to maintain these precious places.Shirley WalkerCacao pods7

Dinosaurs UncoveredRob LoweThis summer the Dinosaurs have returned to the EdenProject. We talk to the team behind one of Eden’sbiggest-ever summer programmes and discover howmuch work goes into bringing these 65-million-year-oldsback to life and the vital message that they have for all ofus today.It’s the third time dinosaurs havewalked Bodelva (that we know of –Cornish geology doesn’t lend itself toCretaceous era fossils), so why havethey returned? Jo Elworthy, Eden’sDirector of Interpretation, has theanswer: ‘Extinction! The demise ofthe dinosaurs shows the fragility oflife and also its amazing capacity torecover.’It’s an important message – a recentpaper authored by scientists from theuniversities of Stanford, Princetonand Berkeley argues that the worldhas entered its sixth extinction phase,with the rate of vertebrate extinctionsnow at 114 times higher than normal.While the last great extinction eventwas likely to have been caused by ameteor strike which triggered massivevolcanic eruptions, this, the 6th majorextinction event in the history of theplanet seems to be largely down tous, the homo sapiens. As one of theco-authors of the paper told the BBC,‘We’re sawing off the branch we’resitting on.’It’s not an issue that many of uswant to contemplate, but as ever,Eden puts a positive spin on the story.Dinosaurs offer a way into the subjectof the environment, extinction andcoexistence that makes a virtueof the difference between us andthe dinosaurs. ‘We have consciousthought. We can look beyond ourlifetimes,’ says Jo. ‘There’s hope for usyet.’Dinosaur Uproar takes the premiseof Dinosaurs Unleashed and ups theante. Last time the dinosaurs hadescaped; this time, they’ve takenover. ‘It’s bigger and better,’ saysChris Pritchard, InterpretationTeam Production Manager. ‘Lastyear we had the crater of the TyrantKing [an animatronic scene from theCretaceous era]. This time we’ve got ahost of animatronic dinosaurs fromthe Natural History Museum whichwill feature in a new Cretaceous erajourney. We’re also working withDavid Lazenby from Azureus on anaquatic cave scene and teaming upwith Erth, an Australian puppeteeringcompany to animate the whole site.There are 16 dinosaurs to discoverthis year including the smallerbut faster rival to the T. rex, theAustralovenator.’Dinosaurs are enjoying anotherrenaissance at present – as well asDinosaur Uproar, Jurassic World isin cinemas this summer and there isa mini-boom in dinosaur wallpaper,children’s clothing and toys. It’s theideal time to go back to the Cretaceousera, explains Kate Francis, Site WideLive Programme Producer: ‘Last yearwe encouraged kids to be explorers,but as we discovered, a lot of childrenare already skilled and knowledgeablepalaeontologists. So this year we’reencouraging them to go deeper andhave a more immersive experience.’The ‘free range’ dinosaurs will bejoined by skeletons and installationsdesigned to shed more light on theinhabitants of the Cretaceous era,including a specially commissionedtimeline of plant life over themillennia by one of Eden’s Designer-Makers, Lou Thorn. This, the last ageof the dinosaurs, saw the beginnings‘Extinction! The demise of the dinosaurs shows thefragility of life and also its amazing capacity to recover.’Jo Elworthy, Eden’s Director of Interpretation8

of flowering plants, birds (thedinosaurs’ true descendants) taking tothe air alongside the pterosaurs, andthe allegedly greatest predator of themall, Tyrannosaurus rex.It’s not just a question of importingand displaying these beasts though,Chris explains. ‘Erth’s puppets areusually used in the Erth DinosaurPetting Zoo stage show, and theNatural History Museum’s dinosaursare normally part of a self-containedshow. To work at Eden, these elementsneeded to be woven into a newnarrative that extends the premiseof Dinosaurs Unleashed and workswithin the physical parameters ofthe Eden site.’ Chris and the teamworked with Erth and the NaturalHistory Museum to create an entirelynew experience; this summer thedinosaurs aren’t just on the loose,they’ve taken over and we will need tolearn to coexist with the creatures thathave taken our place at the top of theevolutionary tree.And they are everywhere – in thecentre of the pit you’ll find ancientsea life, a life-size T. rex, and a nestof Dromaeosaurus babies, and theremains of a stegosaurus amongstother wonders. Visitors will be givena series of clues as they explore Eden,which hint at the best times – andplaces – to encounter the free-rangedinosaurs. Planning these encounterstakes a lot of thought.‘There’s not actually much flatspace,’ says Kate Francis. ‘Aside fromthe arena there are only a few otherplaces where it’s possible to manoeuvrea dinosaur in and out. Especially ifthere’s a couple of thousand peoplein the same space.’ There’s also theCornish summer weather to contendwith, which has been known tofeature the odd raindrop or two fromtime-to-time. ‘Erth’s dinosaurs weredesigned for dry Australian climates,they’re not exactly waterproof,’ saysKate. ‘So we have different strategiesdepending on what the weather isdoing, including making more use ofthe Biomes.’Although it lends itself brilliantlyto the dinosaur theme, the RainforestBiome is a particular challenge. ‘It’shot in there. Even hotter if you’re ina dinosaur suit,’ says puppeteer HalSilvester. ‘You need to be able to get inand out quite quickly.’ That’s when theT. rex’s tail becomes especially useful.‘All you have to do is start to turnaround and people move out of yourway.’At least operating the apexpredators should be a lot easier thisyear thanks to Erth’s state-of the-artsuits. The T. rex suit Hal wore lastyear was harder to operate. ‘It waslike being in a submersible,’ he says.‘The suit used fisheye lens cameras

to see out, you had an earpiece forinstructions and someone elseoperated the jaws.’ And it was heavy, 65kilos of dinosaur puppet.This year, however, he’s glad theapex predator dinosaur suits weigh amere 28 to 35 kilos each. ‘They’re a joyto use,’ he says. They are engineeredto be more animated and allow thepuppeteers to control the eyes and jawsdirectly; there’s even a microphonethat translates what he says into‘dinosaur’ so he can interact directlywith visitors. And perhaps best of all,he says, ‘The Erth suits have a camerain the nostril for close-up work andpanels in the body and neck that allowyou to line up your ‘prey’ obliquelybefore you move in.’Joining these carnivorous creaturesare the smaller (and friendlier) birdlikeLeaellynasaura, from the tropicalAntarctic rainforests, their largegoogly eyes adapted to spending halfthe year in darkness. Operating themis good fun, says Hal. ‘It’s a chance tointeract with people in a playful way.’There are also the everpopularbaby dinosaurs. Both theLeaellynasaura and the juveniledinosaurs are accompanied by theirkeepers or ‘wranglers’, who are happyto answer any questions about theircharges – you might not get thesame opportunity with the keepersof the apex predators T. rex andAustralovenator, as they will havetheir work cut out for them, especiallyif it’s lunchtime…But first comes the installation.Eden’s Site Wide Live team put onbetween 25 and 27 events every year,but Dinosaur Uproar is the biggestsummer programme yet, and it has the‘Have you ever been up close to an ostrich? There’san uncertainty about them, a skittishness. You neverknow what they’re going to do. That’s what we aim for.’Hal Silvester, PuppeteerPrevious page:Australovenator in the RainforestBiome - Photo: Steve TannerLeft: Dinosaur build in progressAbove: Practicing puppeteersshortest turnaround. Ben Howard’sEden Session is on 17 July, and oncehe has departed Site Wide Live havejust under a week to turn the clockback 65 million years (give or take).The Saturday will be spent putting upwalls for the displays, on Sunday theNatural History Museum dinosaursarrive and then there’s just five days toget everything right.Then on 24 July, Dinosaur Uproarbegins and Hal and the team ofpuppeteers take centre stage whilethe Site Wide Live team put their feetup for 30 seconds before they startplanning Hallow Eden and Christmas.By this time Hal and the puppeteeringteam will be fully in character andcostume. But how do you learn to playa dinosaur? It’s not as if you can go andwatch them in the wild or a zoo.‘Emus,’ says Hal. ‘And ostriches.Have you ever been up close to anostrich? There’s an uncertaintyabout them, a skittishness. You neverknow what they’re going to do. That’swhat we aim for.’ Having spent a fairamount of time terrorizing shoppingcentres as T. rex and emerging fromlingerie shops with a bra in his jaws,he is relishing a chance to give amore nuanced performance. There’sa chance to develop the characterof the dinosaur, such as giving it afascination for handbags. ‘Erth’sapproach is very similar to Eden’s - it’sabout providing an opportunity tolearn about something amazing.’ Theaim is to simulate interaction withwildlife, not terrify people.’ He grins.‘Though you get a lot of men filmingyou chasing their wives. It shows theage of chivalry really is dead.’Dinosaur Uproar activities are included with yourMembership or admission ticket. To find out more and get20% off advance admission tickets online visit:www.edenproject.com/dinosaur-uproar11

Eden Project MembershipRose Cashman-Pugsley, Membership ManagerEden Friends were among the first to recognise that theEden Project was more than just a great day out and havesupported our charitable projects from the beginning.This summer, we relaunch Eden Friends as Eden ProjectMembership with a host of new benefits.We are so grateful for the years of loyal support from ourFriends – many of whom will have recollections of first visitingEden whilst wearing a hard hat, peering over the edgeof the Bodelva pit to get the earliest insights into our transformation– or indeed during our first very busy year afterwe opened. Whenever they joined, Eden Friends share ourvalues and our vision and we need more people like them.As parts of our once fledgling rainforest now touch the topof the Biome (and would burst through if not pruned carefully!)the time is right to take a fresh look at what we offerour Members.We began our research into a new membershipscheme at the end of 2014 and are indebted to the manycontributors to our focus groups and surveys. We have alsoSchoolchildren in Kenya at one of our Gardens for Life schools. Photo: Jacqui Orme.12

had enlightening conversations with Eden Friends at recentexhibition previews and ‘behind the scenes’ tours. All ofthese insights have really helped shape our understandingof what we should offer our Members.It was clear from the feedback that we needed to offera wider range of benefits, including advance information,events, priority access and discounts, so our new EdenProject Membership programme would encourage morepeople to join us, as well as offer more rewards for those whohave supported us so loyally over many years.But it’s not just about benefits; our Members help usto make a real difference and deliver on our charitableaims. Over the years Eden Friends have helped providevital funds for our charitable projects, and contributed tothe development and upkeep of the Eden Project visitordestination itself.Our Members help us to make areal difference and deliver on ourcharitable aims.The money raised from Eden Project Membership willhelp us to run programmes that make a real difference topeople’s lives and to the planet; from locally supporting thedevelopment of our Rainforest Canopy Walkway whichdemonstrates the vital role rainforests play in all of ourlives and inspires us to take action, to our internationalGardens for Life programme which establishes schoolgardens in Kenya, giving children essential skills for thefuture and ensuring they receive at least one square meala day. Membership will help us develop these programmesfurther and fund new areas and projects so that we cancontinue to connect people with each other and the livingworld, exploring how we can work towards a better future.We will shortly be writing to all Eden Friends withfurther information on what the changes will mean forthem and the new benefits they will now receive – includinga 10%discount in the shop all year round, priority carparking and priority booking for our special ticketedevents like the Eden Sessions in 2016. If you’re not alreadya Member, now is the time to join us! See the inside backcover for more information on how you can become aMember to discover more of what Eden has to offer.We are always keen to hear your feedback so that wecan continue to improve our Membership scheme. If youhave any questions at all please do get in touch with us onmembership@edenproject.com or call 01726 811932.HOW TO JOINIn personOnlineBy phoneat the Eden Project Visitor Centrewww.edenproject.com/membership01726 811932 (9am – 5pm, Monday to Friday)13

Fifteen years in the pitJessi Hill, Apprentice, Eden Project Media TeamWith the 15th anniversary of the opening of The Eden Project coming up next spring,Media Relations apprentice Jessi Hill talks to horticulturists Catherine Cutler,Emma Gunn and Paul Stone about their memories from the early days of Eden.Paul’s first task at Eden was overseeingthe production of the manufacturedtopsoil.He says: ‘I wanted to be involvedwith a project that was clearly going tobe the biggest landscape project in thecountry in the year 2000. So I searchedfor the pit and I asked a man at theentrance gate, “Is this where Eden isgoing to be?” and he said, “The EdenProject? They’ll never buy this pit,” butwithin one year they had.’Emma started as a volunteer atEden and then secured the position ofdraftsman. But she wasn’t afraid to gether hands dirty.She recalls: ‘On my first day Icollected seed at the nursery from thetobacco plants we were growing. Theywere so sticky and it would affect youlike you’d been smoking, so we were allfeeling off our heads. That was quitean experience.’Catherine started off as ahorticulture supervisor to get theproject going and fill the site withplants.Catherine says: ‘On my first daythere were three of us and the firstthing we did was go into Tim Smit’soffice. He told us that they’d recruitedus because we were young enough notto know that what we were about to dowas impossible.‘Working on a building site washard, you’d go to plant up an area,but then somebody else would belaying a road or putting in pipes. The‘All of the horticulture team had green helmets on,so we stood out like a sore thumb and that’s how thebuilders coined the phrase the “green team”.’Emma Gunnconstruction workers loved what wewere doing though and worked wellwith us.’During the first few months ofconstruction it rained every day,sending 43 million litres of waterinto the pit, so a special drainagesystem was made. In the early stages ofplanting, giant sheets of plastic wereused to keep the elements away fromthe plants where there weren’t Biomebubbles to shelter them.Many of the plants were grownfrom seed at Watering Lane Nursery;others came from botanic gardens,research stations and supporters. Allplants went through Eden’s rigoroushealthcare programme to catch14

pest and disease problems, beforeeventually moving on site.Emma recalls: ‘When we firststarted growing plants at the nurserywe were hoping that we’d havesomewhere to showcase them. So wehad a party when we heard the goodnews that we’d actually bought the pit.We would have parties for all sorts,like building the new toilet block. Wewould cut a rope, drink champagneand celebrate.’In September 2000, the first ofmany trees were planted in a sparselookingRainforest Biome. Now theMediterranean and Rainforest Biomeshave over 1,000 varieties of plant eachand the outer estate, of over 30 acres,includes nearly two million plants andover 5,000 difference species of plant.The first horticulture team atEden was made up of 36 people andthroughout the build the team foundjoy in the small victories and treats.There was never any doubt fromanyone that the Eden Project wouldcome to be.Catherine says: ‘Most Fridayswe would troop through all the mudinto the middle of the pit to a GreasyJoe’s café and have a big breakfast. Allof the horticulture team had greenhelmets on, so we stood out like a sorethumb and that’s how the builderscoined the phrase the “green team”.’The Visitor Centre was opened tothe public in the year 2000 for visitorsto come and see the progress. Everyonewho had the chance to visit in the earlystages was given a hard hat, a highvisibilityjacket and a chance to ridethe famous land train. The whole sitewas then opened on 17 March 2001.Catherine says: ‘The day beforewe opened, we had finished plantingin the Rainforest Biome and therewas such a sense of relief. But then wewalked into the Mediterranean Biomeand they had so much left to do, so weall started putting lots of little plantsin the ground as fast as humanlypossible.’Paul says: ‘The evening beforeEden opened we knew that we had toplant to world-class standards in the‘We would have partiesfor all sorts, like buildingthe new toilet block.We would cut a rope,drink champagne andcelebrate.’Paul StoneCatherine CutlerBiomes because that’s how we’re goingto be judged. Visitors wouldn’t judge usfor the rest of the site; it was all aboutthe Biomes.’Over the last 15 years Eden’shorticulture team have plantedaround 60,000 new plants annually;started at 7:30 every day to pruneand water plants around site; done50 hours of weeding a week in thesummer; and recycled materials tomake over 120 tonnes of compost ayear.Paul says: ‘It’s been extremehorticulture, always trying to tame theconditions in a big unstable hole in theground to create a unique, world-classhorticultural destination. Althoughwe planted very few specimen plantsin the Outdoor Garden, after just15 years we have achieved a degreeof maturity that is testament to thewonderful warm and wet conditionsthat Cornwall offers in combinationwith the exceptional expert planthusbandry skills within the EdenGreen Team.’To find out more about the creation of the EdenProject see our interactive timeline:www.edenproject.com/eden-story/eden-timeline15

From bottles to boardshorts:how one British brand is transforminglitter into luxury swimwearLou Herring, Sustainability Director,Riz BoardshortsAn estimated 8 million tonnes of plastic enter our oceans each year – equivalentto 3% of the world’s total plastic production. In the UK, only 50% of the 15 millionbottles consumed each day are recycled. Riz Boardshorts are working to raiseconsumer awareness of the value of recycling and to find a valuable use forplastic bottles washed up on our beaches.Riz Boardshorts is a sustainable surfandswimshort company founded bysurfers and sailors Riz Smith and AliMurrell, who grew up on the coastof Devon. After years working inthe fashion and finance industriesthey came together to combine theirpassion for the ocean with a desireto create: ‘the most beautiful andenvironmental boardshorts in theworld’. Inspired by the idea of SavilleRow for surf, the shorts have a tailoredfeel and incorporate a ‘British-Hawaiian’ print style.‘Our USP comes from fusing surf,style and sustainability,’ says Riz.‘Being a menswear designer and asurfer, I like the idea of a short thatfunctions perfectly in the ocean yethas a more refined design aesthetic.’Riz’s current season of shortsinclude an Endangered Garden printdedicated to, and supporting, the EdenProject: ‘The idea behind our printscame from giving a British twist tosomething typically tropical, bringingthe surf scene up to date. The BritishEndangered Species series has beenreally interesting and fun to do. It’sour way of telling stories and raisingawareness of the natural world aroundus.’From its inception, an essentialpart of the Riz brand has been tocreate stylish, sophisticated surfwearthat has a minimal impact on theenvironment. The shorts are madefrom 100%recycled polyester derivedfrom post-consumer plastic bottles –using 20 plastic bottles to make eachpair. Their Rizcycle scheme also allowscustomers to return their old shortswhen they are worn out in return for adiscount off their next pair; creating avirtuous 360-degree ‘Rizcycling’ loop.All the shorts returned are rehomed orrecycled by the Riz team.16

we are lucky to have the support ofexperts from the recycling industryand partners who are willing towork through those challenges withus. That makes it an exciting andworthwhile journey rather thansomething to be afraid of.’The brand ethos – includingboth ocean plastics and RizcyclingIn early 2015, Riz Boardshortssuccessfully ran a crowdfundingcampaign to take the eco credentials oftheir brand to the next level – turningocean plastics washed up on thebeaches of the UK into boardshorts.Aware that their boardshorts weremade from plastics but that the oceanswere also filling up with plastics, theyare keen to see if one can be used tomake the other.‘The oceans are vital for thesurvival of our planet,’ says Riz. ‘Sadly,our oceans and beaches are litteredwith waste plastics. Experts estimatethat there are 46,000 pieces of plasticin every square mile of the ocean.’In the next six months, the brandwill be working with beach cleaningpartners including the MarineConservation Society to collect clearplastic bottles from UK beaches anduse them as the raw material for arange of shorts. The bottles will betransformed by British recyclingfirms into pellets and then spun intofabric to make shorts.The Riz team are aware of thechallenges posed by the project– whether that’s minimising thetransportation of bottles from beachto recycling plant or ensuring theshorts maintain the durability andquality offered by their current rangeonce ocean plastics are included in thefabric.‘Each step of this journey throwsup new questions and new challenges,’says Riz’s co-founder Ali Murrell, ‘but‘Each step of thisjourney throws up newquestions and newchallenges’- is designed to support the UKgovernment’s plans to grow thecircular economy, where resourcesare used as efficiently as possiblethen reused and recycled, as well as tochallenge the fashion industry to takerecycled materials and resource usemore seriously.‘It’s mixing surf, fashion andenvironmentalism together thatdrives us on. It’s a brave step for asmall brand, but we are all aboutleaving the comfort zone and realisinga dream,’ says Riz.To dive into a pair of Riz Boardshorts visitthe Eden shop orshop.rizboardshorts.com,where you can also find more about thebrand’s sustainability journey.17

Plants and pedal-powerPam HortonI knew that the Eden Classic 2015 would be spectacularly different; for a start it wouldpromise riders the unique chance to pedal the length of Eden, past the Rainforest andMediterranean Biomes, something that no other sportive in the world could offer. Thenit would tantalize further with a choice of three routes navigating around Cornwall’snatural beauty and historic landmarks, before returning to Eden.The Eden Sportive 2015 was born outof an exciting collaboration betweenEden and Tempus Leisure. Likethe now established annual EdenMarathon, it represents the Edenethos of allowing people to cometogether through challenges andperseverance. ‘We do the Eden Classicand the Marathon because Eden is allabout connecting people, and these areways to bring hundreds of like-mindedpeople together to celebrate what theylove,’ says Gordon Seabright, Eden’sDirector.The planning of the routes wasexhaustive and meticulous; everyhairpin bend, conspicuous countrylane and eye-watering descent had tobe scrutinised. The routes needed tooffer flats for speed and time gain, hillclimbs for the masochistic and hairwhiteningdescents into the heart ofthe county for thrill-seekers.After some admittedly sporadictraining, the day of the Sportivearrived: May 9 2015. On the previousnight, five cycling friends fromDevon had arrived at my house,laden with Lycra and other essentialparaphernalia, as well as an infinitesupply of excitement and nerves.Bicycles buckled under the weight ofnumerous energy bars, inner tubesand multi-tools strapped to everyavailable section of their frames. Wewere prepared! I responded by rustlingup a carb-loaded feast of pasta, thedistance cyclist’s meal of choice thenight before a gruelling sportive. Andthen to bed early!Six shrieking alarms at dawnannounced the day of the Eden Classicand prompted a small collective cheer.After shoehorning ourselves into themandatory Lycra we gobbled downporridge and banana before riding outto Eden and the starting line.On entering Eden, my sister’schain snapped. An omen, I wondered?Thankfully the Tempus BicycleEden’s Pam Horton and Jamie Curtis from Tempus Leisure cycling through Portmellon.Maintenance team were on hand toresolve pre-cycle hiccups like these andthey fixed it in no time.Eden in the early morning isusually a beautiful vision of serenity.On the day of the Eden Classic theair was filled with extraordinaryexcitement as I and nearly 700 othercyclists congregated at the startingline, poised to begin an incredibleadventure of endurance.In a whirlwind of wheels in motion,I left the starting grid and began theascent out of Eden. This was a newexperience in itself; I normally leavethe outdoor landscape on foot or18

Pam and her crew at the final Heligan food stop. Left to right: Nikki, Freddie, Pete, Abbie (front), Misch, Pam, and Ceri.by land-train. My cohort of cyclingfriends followed closely, havingpreviously decided to construct ourown informal peloton of support foreach other.The Eden Classic offers threeroutes of differing lengths; this istypical of most sportives where theemphasis is on inclusivity. All cyclistsare welcome. There is a route of 36miles for the relatively novice cyclist,and at the extreme end a whopping100-mile route for the experienced.The medium route which we choserequires 62 miles of effort and about 5hours in the saddle.Stage 1: Sightseeing andstamina...Passing out of St Austell Bay andalong the relatively flat roads on theapproach to Pentewan was deceptivelyeasy-going with stunning views acrossthe sea and the sweeping curvatureof the Cornish coastline. Beyond thebustling fishing village of Mevagisseya steep hill out rewarded us witha sharp, twisting descent into thepicturesque, miniature PortmellonCove. It was here that reality checkedin for us and every other cyclist: thehill. The hill out of Portmellon isnotorious; the gradient can only belikened to scaling a wall. When wereached the foot of this beast, severalcyclists had dismounted, preferringto push bicycles up the hill rather thandestroy gears, knees and confidencetrying to reach the top. The beauty ofthe sights as you climb the hill is anadded temptation to stop and take itin. Bums firmly on their saddles andputting the gears through their paces,I’m proud to say that my mini-team ofgirls (and one man) conquered the hilland felt fantastic for an early minivictory.After 18 miles, we passed CaerhaysCastle, famous for its beautiful formalgrounds and its many species ofmagnolia, and the stunningly secludedPorthluney cove. Tempting as it was tostop, the promise of the Lost Gardensof Heligan at mile 25, the first of tworefuelling stops, kept us moving on.Heligan – refuelling instyle:The feed station awaiting theweary cyclist at Heligan was superb,an antidote to the flag and fatigue.The staff gave us such a welcome fullof cheers and applause we almost feltlike we had finished! Coffee, cake andcarbs were on the menu; we stayed forseveral cups of coffee and would havestayed until closing, but we still had40 miles to go. As we left revitalisedand grateful to Heligan’s hospitality, Iheard cyclists praising it as one of thebest sportive food-stops they had everexperienced.19

Stage 2 – Hitting the wall...From here we endured and enjoyedin equal measure 15 miles of peacefulbut painful pedalling throughnetworks of high-hedged countrylanes, a mixture of short ascents anddescents, passing through picturesquerural hamlets and small villages suchas Tregony and St Ewe. Cyclists werebunching up now in forced pelotons ofgrimacing faces, occasionally watchedby buzzards perched on telegraphpoles.Testing out the route at Eden.At mile 42, having cycled throughthe picturesque village of Veryanwith its chocolate-box houses andpretty village green we hit the threePs: Portloe, Portholland and finallyPolmassic. All of us were unpreparedfor the hill out of Portholland at mile45; it made the Portmellon climb looklike a speed bump and I could havesworn its summit was obscured bycloud cover. Again, many cyclists ofall abilities dismounted in the face ofthe gruelling ascent and some foundthe walk equally challenging. Kneesand backs were starting to feel it in the20extreme at this stage. One of the worstexperiences of a steep hill climb isbeing in the wrong gear, or even worsesuffering an abrupt chain snap or slipwhen the gears are under pressure.The result can be a painful tumbleor an eye-wateringly hostile meetingbetween groin and cross-bar! I nearlysuffered the former but managed tostay on saddle to the top.At mile 50, it was Heligan taketwo: I for one was happy to be met bythe warm embrace of the place, andits coffee and cake, once again. I wasexhausted but happy, my friends also;the route had been a mixture of beautyand the beast so far and we were allfeeling the strain and fatigue as wetried to work up some energy for thefinal 12 miles.The fast and the finish...I always think of the final stageof a sportive as a heads down, keepbreathing, get the job done sort ofstage. My peloton of friends kept ongoing, pounding the roads with 600other battle-weary cyclists – knowingthe end was in sight. The huge halfmiledescent into Pentewan wasa wonderful sprint; no pedallingrequired at all.The final few miles to Eden werea mixture of main road and minimountainslike Tregorrick Hill, beforeplummeting down at breakneck speedthrough Duporth village and on toCharlestown with its tall-ships andhistoric harbour. With 5 miles to go,huge trains of cyclists grasped thatenergy that sits in reserve when theend is within reach and pushed on tothe finish line at Bodelva.Waiting for us in the arena at thecentre of Eden’s Outdoor Gardenswere crowds of supporters cheeringand chanting, photographing andembracing cyclists as they crossed thefinish line and were met with medals.‘Eden is about people rising tochallenges, like transforming a ruinedenvironment into a theatre of plantsand people,’ says Gordon Seabright.‘The Eden Classic 2015 was anotherexample of the power of people risingto a challenge – a very long and hillyone!’My family cheered me as Icrossed the finish line with myfriends, exhausted but smiling. TheEden Classic 2015: a remarkableachievement for all involved.For more information on the recent Sportiveand to see a video of the route visit:www.edenproject.com/visit/whats-on/eden-classic-sportive-cycling-event

Wild is the windNeil Fox, Creative Director, Pukka TeaIt’s now a few weeks since our giant tea box exhibitopened its doors in the sensory garden area of Eden.Our huge thanks to the wonderful designers andbuilders at Eden – it is very special to be part of suchan amazing place.Some of you may already have visitedthe exhibit and heard the stories aboutour herbs and where they come from.One of the films playing on the screenis about a really important aspect ofwhat we do. It’s called FairWild. Fiftypercent of all herbs are sourced fromthe wild; FairWild helps ensure thatthese herbs are sourced sustainablyand in a way that protects the livelihoodsof communities that do so. Itmeans that when you buy boxes oforganic Pukka tea, you are helping todo something really special.There’s an old Hindu proverbthat says, ‘Help your brother’s boatacross and your own will reach theshore.’ It’s a sentiment that sumsup exactly what FairWild is there todo. It’s about protecting the beautyCollectors of Terminalia chebula (Haritaki) fruits, Dhage Wadi village, Bhimashankar WidlifeSanctuary, North Western Ghats with community members. Credit: Amit Kotiya/TRAFFICand magic of wild plants and theirnatural habitats whilst ensuringthose who collect them can maintaina decent and dignified livelihood.It’s based on the same principles asFairtrade, but FairWild is targetedspecifically at wild plants. It’s anarea that, as the production of herbalteas and remedies grows throughoutthe world, is fast becoming a bigproblem.Pukka now sells around a millioncups of organic herbal tea a day aroundthe world. Imagine the amount ofherbs we source and use to make eachone. In fact some of our ingredientsare used in more than just one tea –one of these is licorice. It’s an amazingherb – naturally 50 times sweeterthan refined cane sugar and with zerocalorific value. All the licorice we usecomes from Kazakhstan and all of it is21

The majority of licorice Pukka use comes from Kazakhstan and all wild sources are FairWild certified.FairWild certified. Pukka is currentlyworking with FairWild projects hereand also in India, Hungary, Spain andBosnia.FairWild education in action in IndiaSo what difference does it make?As well as protecting the livelihoodsof the people who pick the herbs,FairWild projects around the worldteach collectors, who may traditionallyhave dug up the whole plant to harvestits roots, to leave some of the plantin the ground, allowing it to growagain the following year. FairWildalso incentivises collectors who wouldnormally have harvested an entirearea of herbs to leave some untouched22

so the remaining plants can matureand regenerate.As with over-fishing and theconsequent collapse of fish stocks,unrestricted collection of wild herbscan have devastating consequencesnot just for the plants but for thecommunities that pick them. SoFairWild is as much about educationof these communities as it is aboutcertification of the products that carrythe logo. But of course it does meanthat collectors following this way ofpicking herbs need to be rewarded andso collectors are paid a premium priceas with Fairtrade and an additionalamount – known as the FairWildpremium – is paid to the collector’sco-operative to be spent on social andenvironmental projects.Conservation through commerceIt means these communities have astrong incentive to look after wildYou are helping to change the world – one box at atime – by helping someone else to help themselves.plant populations. At Pukka we call itconservation through commerce – theability to help drive sustainability andenvironmental benefits through thethings we imagine, create and sell toyou. And when you buy a packet of aPukka FairWild tea – like Peppermint& Licorice – you should know that youare doing much more than just buyinga box of delicious organic herbaltea. You are helping to change theworld – one box at a time – by helpingsomeone else to help themselves. Itmakes the tea, FairWild and of courseyou pretty special. So the next timeyou buy a box of herbal tea check andsee if it is FairWild and if it is you’llknow what it means. And if you can,tell other people about it – because themore people know, the more they willask for it and the more they ask for it,the more we will all help to make sureherbs are sourced sustainably. Andthat has to be a good thing – for people,plants and the planet.For more information visit:pukkaherbs.comfairwild.org.Collectors can now harvest herbs sustainably thanks to the efforts of FairWild projects23

Enterprising communitiesRob LoweWalk ten minutes from São Conrado beach, one of Rio’smost desirable neighbourhoods, and you’ll find yourselfin Rochina, Brazil’s biggest favela. No-one is sure exactlyhow many people live in Rochina – estimates suggestthat between 150,000 to 200,000 people are packedinto the favela’s hilly 780 square metres.It’s estimated that almost a third ofRio’s population lives in favelas likeRochina.Although favelas have areputation for violent crime, it’slargely undeserved; you’re morelikely to be murdered outside of afavela than within it. Situated on ahillside overlooking the sea, Rochinahas some of best the views in thewhole city, so tour guides are notunusual, but Favelas Adventuresare different. Keen to improve thereputation of their ‘city within a city’,the inhabitants of Rochina have setup their own tour company, to showthe world what their community isreally like. Designed, organised andrun by local people who were bornand still live in the neighbourhood,the tours use that local knowledgeto go deep into the favela to placesother guides don’t know. The tripsusually include a chance to talk tolocals and get a feel for the area – theyare described as ‘visits’ not tours byFavelas Adventures. The profits fromthe visits go back into the communityand the long-term aim is to build acommunity centre for the arts in thefavela. Favelas Adventures are creatinga community enterprise out of thevery streets they live in – and they’renot alone. Across the UK communitiesare rising to the challenges of theeconomy and local governmentcuts to create neighbourhoods thatare socially, environmentally andeconomically sustainable.‘We make our own future’ readsa mural on a wall in Stokes Croft,Bristol. In April 2011, that future wasenvisaged as one in which a wellknownnational supermarket chaindid not exist – a raid on a squat turnedinto a riot that saw 52 people arrestedand the supermarket ransacked.It might seem like an odd placeto want to establish a ‘culturalquarter’ but that’s exactly what ChrisChalkley had in mind when he setup the People’s Republic of StokesCroft (PRSC). A social enterprise, itsambition is to see the area take controlof its own identity. Already home to anumber of Banksy graffiti, in recentyears the neighbourhood has become ahuge open-air gallery for local talent,turning abandoned shops and unlovedwalls into vast canvases. PRSC want toView over Rochina Favela. Photo: Alicia Nijdam-Jones (cc)24

un gigs and performances – they’vealready run street festivals. At theheart of the project is the pottery shopthat Chalkley runs, its purpose toproduce chinaware that is identifiablewith the area – he describes it as‘Royal Doulton on acid’. The People’sRepublic of Stokes Croft isn’t alonein its intention to show another sideof Stokes Croft. Across the street isHamilton House, an unconnected butlike-minded organisation that runs acanteen and where you’ll find amongother things a community kitchenand a bike repair shop. Thanks toenterprises like this Stokes Croft’stransformation was already underway.As Coexist’s director Oli Wells toldthe Guardian: ‘Lots of people say theyfind it hard to understand the “bigsociety”. Well, come to Stokes Croftand experience it.’But you don’t have to go to StokesCroft to find communities that arebuilding a vision of ‘big society’ ontheir own terms. Some of them havebeen doing it for years.The Plaza cinema in Liverpool’sWaterloo district looked to be aboutto face its final reckoning in 1995when a twelve-year-old boy alerted theneighbourhood to plans to redevelopthe much-loved cinema. Localresidents responded to the challengeby setting up a fundraising committeein order to buy the cinema for thecommunity. Two years later they hadraised over £350,000 through thededicated charity shop they had setup and they secured a lease with anoption to buy the beautiful art decopicture house. The cinema reopenedin 1997 and was purchased in 2000.All profits go back into the operationand upkeep of the building which ispredominantly run by volunteers.The Plaza wouldn’t exist without thesupport of its local community and soit’s no surprise to find that the cinemahas a social mission as well; entrancefees are kept low to encourage localpeople and they run autism- andIts record of getting people back into work is impressive –60% of long-term unemployed volunteers have obtainedjobs after working at Saffron Acres.disability-friendly screenings.Saffron Acres in Leicester is a 12-acre community garden in one of thecountry’s most deprived communities.Set up by Saffron Lane Neighbourhoodcouncil, which has been improvingthe lives of local residents since the1970s, Saffron Acres offers trainingand volunteering opportunities forresidents, long-term unemployed,young people with learningPhoto © Saffron Acresdifficulties, schools and universities.Its record of getting people back intowork is impressive – 60% of long-termunemployed volunteers have obtainedjobs after working at Saffron Acres.As well as growing vegetables, theSaffron Acres has its own orchardand a series of polytunnels. The sitegrows more than the usual run-of-themillallotment favourites – stripedbeetroots and blue pumpkins havebeen known to flourish there. It’s oneof the reasons why local restaurantsare now looking to Saffron Acres tosupply key ingredients. But it’s theirlatest venture that is showing the mostpotential.Saffron Acres is making the mostof its gardens by producing jamand chutney, in their first year theyproduced 900 jars. It’s a long way froma sign and a tin at the end of the driveand so Saffron Acres have formed apartnership with Midlands Co-op todistribute its products – everythingfrom spicy pumpkin chutney tostrawberry jam. Fifty-two stores in25

Leicester now stock Saffron Acresbranded jams and chutneys. Their lastorder was for 7000 jars and they nowhave a preorder for 82,000 jars if theycan get further funding to expandtheir operation.The range of community-ownedand run enterprises is only likely toincrease as councils divest themselvesof libraries, swimming pools, andother assets in order to balance thebooks. Changes in legislation meanthat communities in England can nowcompete to run services.The neighbourhood of JesmondGrafitti artist in Stokes Croftin Newcastle has had a swimmingpool for over 75 years, but in 1991the council announced the pool wasto close – although the pool was thethird most popular in the city, itwas decided that swimmers could gosomewhere else. So to make it clearthat they weren’t going anywherelocal people staged a sit-in at the pool.Two days after the pool was officiallyclosed, the Jesmond SwimmingProject submitted a proposal for acommunity-owned and operatedpool. Local people were offered thechance to pledge money to supportthe project, with the reassurance thatthe money would only be claimed ifthe pool successfully opened. That,and the prospect of half-price swims,encouraged 200 people to pledgefinancial support. The pool reopenedin 1992. In its last year of council-runoperation, the pool made a loss of£60k, in its first year, the trust set upto run the pool made a profit of £60kand continued to run in the black forthe next 12 years. One of the reasonsfor its success was that it doubled itsopening hours. The downturn in theeconomy has only increased the trust’sresourcefulness, and the centre nowoffers a range of activities other thanFounder of Favela Adventures Zezhino Da Rochinawith some Favelas adventurers.swimming, but recognising that thereis more to a community enterprisethan profits, it also compiles socialaccounts.Some community organisationsjust focus on the social aspects of theirwork, but to be sustainable in thelong-term they often end up acquiringpremises and becoming enterprises aswell, like Valleys Kids in the RhonddaValley. Begun in a whitewashed cellarin Wales, Valleys Kids never set outto own buildings, it set out to solve aproblem.The Rhondda Valley has thehighest rate of teenage pregnancy inthe UK – 12,000 of its young people areclassified as ‘NEET’ in the unlovelyterminology of the day – not ineducation, employment or training.Now in its 35th year, the ValleysKids organization offers activities,training, and breaks from the harshrealities of life in the Rhondda Valley.It owns a number of buildings thatenable it to offer these services, butits latest acquisition, the Pop Factory,a former soft drinks factory-turnedmultimedia complex, means it cannot only run media training courses,it can also generate income. The PopFactory will be a live music venue, ahome to a community-based televisionstation company, and will rent space toa television production company andother businesses that require meetingor office space.Community enterprises arebecoming part of the landscape in theUK as it falls to local people to makethe best of what they have got. It’spredicted that up to 80,000 shops willclose on Britain’s high streets overthe next three years, a combinationof difficult trading conditions, highrents and high rates, while the LibraryCampaign believes that 1,000 librarieswill be closed by 2016.Setting up a community enterprisetakes effort and determination, butacross the country there are bakeries,cafes, pubs, cinemas, libraries,swimming pools and even castlesbeing run by local people, making aprofit and making a difference.To find out more about Eden’s communityprojects and why we do them visit:www.edenproject.com/eden-story/our-ethos26

The Eden Crosswordby Maize‘Maize’ is a crossword fiend who works at Eden. Answers on p.28Across1. Did the First Lady pickthis make of computer? (5)4. Cornish town designedto make us sell tat? Quitethe opposite! (2,7)10. Notice somethingunwanted on teeth (6)11. Deep rosy mixture –applied to help vision? (3,5)12. Small blue flower fromover on Icaria (8)13. Grape variety fromOman? (6)14. Blue Hindi god, missingextremities (6)15. Non-alcoholic typeof wine (3)16. Starts to light only good,seasoned firewood (4)17. Pink flower girl got up aspart of a watering can (4)18. Can you find this undergroundin Cornwall? (3)19. Former RAF planereturning through Liskeardor Minions (6)20. Green woodworkercoming out of red bog (6)22. Panic with toolwhich makes cake (8)23. Martha’s sort ofplantation? (8)25. Bonsai loropetalumcontaining tar (6)26. Plant, vocalist on EP,inevitably featuredtherein (5,4)27. Garden boundaryamongst establishedgeraniums (5)1 2 3 4 5 6 7 810121417 1820232621Down2. Fossil hunter’s potatoesgo in all higgledy-piggledy(15)3. Maybe scotch on therocks or something sweet,black and sticky? (9)5. Paradise lost... and foundin Cornwall! (3,6,2,4)6. Something inside trousersput to good purpose (3)9241115221319257. Reportedly wears rubberproducts (5)8. Pagan school sung aboutChinese tea (7,8)9. Sycamore seed chopper(10)13. Dressing back-to-frontinside jungles I annoyAmazonians (10)16. Type of green petrol – a2716product of citrus fruit (4,5)21. Naive environmentalist(5)24. Venomous creature hidingin raspberries (3)27

RISING GROUNDA Search for the Spirit of PlacePhilip Marsden (Granta Books, £20)Philip Marsden is shaping up to be the writer ofCornwall of our time. His novel The Main Cages told atragic tale of love and death in – and offshore from – aCornish fishing village. The Levelling Sea was a historyof Falmouth at a time when it was one of the world’sgreat ports. Now, in Rising Ground, Marsden gives usa magnificent book – part personal travelogue, partmeditation – on his adopted county and its uniquegeography, geology and history.Marsden bought a basket case of an old farmhouseon a remote creek of the Fal, installed his family andset about restoring it. Right here we have a crackingtheme, that of finding yourself at the end of a longtimeline containing who knows what history anddrama. As the restoration proceeds and his emotionalattachment rises we feel Marsden settling into theland – or place, if you will.In between times he takes off for long walks tothe wild places: Bodmin Moor, West Penwith, up the Fal to its source. We meet eccentric characters, bothliving and dead – farmers, historians, antiquaries, artists. We see places that are familiar to us with new eyes,and are introduced to new places as yet unvisited, and gain a very strong sense of the way Cornwall has heldits extreme antiquity in trust for succeeding generations. (There are definite advantages to being a remotecounty, regularly ignored by central government.) Marsden is a sensitive and observant guide, with an eyefor suggestive and resonant detail; he is also an excellent storyteller, and his account of how practicallyeverything we thought we knew about Tintagel is wrong is highly entertaining.Did I mention that I love this book? Anybody with any love for Cornwall at all should buy it and treasure it.- Mike PettyThe Eden Crossword Solution - see page 27Across: 1 Apple, 4 St Austell, 10 Plaque, 11 Eye drops, 12 Veronica, 13 Muscat, 14 Indigo, 15 Dry,16 Logs, 17 Rose, 18 Tin, 19 Nimrod, 20 Bodger, 22 Flapjack, 23 Vineyard, 25 Sailor,26 Stone pine, 27 Hedge.Down: 2 Palaeontologist, 3 Liquorice, 5 The Garden of Eden, 6 Use, 7 Tyres, 8 Lapsang Souchong,9 Helicopter, 13 Mayonnaise, 16 Lime juice, 21 Green, 24 Asp28

Uncommon GroundDominick Tyler Guardian/Faber, £16.99In Britain, language has washed back and forth over our landscapes like a tide, marooninga few odd words like tor, tolmen and mires on our maps while the rest disappear. As ourpopulations became increasingly urban, the fine distinctions words like these denoted havebecome less than essential. Hill, dip, stream, river all seem adequate if you don’t spend muchtime in the countryside, but as Dominic Tyler discovered, these words don’t really do ourlandscapes justice. He began compiling terms for landscape features here in UncommonGround. Broken down by region, it begins with zawn – a type of chasm found in south westCornwall – and ends with a type of tidal bore found in the fens called an eagre. Each termis illustrated with a photograph – Tyler is a documentary photographer with an impressiveresumé – and an OS grid reference of the location unless the feature he’s described is ephemeral,like ice or a will-o’-the-wisp. Some of the words are dialect or derived from Celtic andGaelic; others are surprisingly familiar – words like copse, fell, and glen are still quite commonto all but the most urbanite audience, even if the origins of these words are no longerwell-known.Through his travels Tyler unearths some fantastic – and fantastical – terms. A GinnyGreenteeth is a weed-covered pond, but originally was used to describe a water sprite thatmight live in such a place, while a Noah’s wood is a submerged forest. But word-nerds beware,Uncommon Ground an exercise in idiosyncrasy rather than authenticity. Tyler occasionallychooses foreign words over more local alternatives. For example, choosing the French couloirover gully because it’s more specific, and Haareis rather than hair ice or silk frost becausethe scientist who correctly identified it as part ice, part fungus was German. This approach isentirely forgivable; the book is not after all intended to be a dictionary, but like a dub (a placeto wash sheep) it is designed to be dipped into – Uncommon Ground will certainly help yousee the countryside with fresh eyes. - Rob LoweScotland’s Local Food RevolutionMike Small (Argyll Publishing, £5.99)It is telling that at the height of the horsemeat scandal, Findus employed the same PR agencythat handled Three Mile Island and Bhopal. This is just one indication that the food systemis not working in our favour. But as Small points out, the recent food scandals and scares arenot signs of a crisis in the food system, they are the food system operating as normal. Manyof the arguments here have been made before – as consumers we have become disconnectedfrom our food supply, we consume too much meat, we waste too much food, and we have a carbonintensive food system – but Small reinvigorates these topics with common sense and animpressive amount of research. The result is a compelling narrative of a system that is relentlesslyharming the environment and our health. But Small also has a blueprint for change.As founders of the Fife Diet project, Small and his team have developed an approach basedon first-hand experience, a local food movement that works. In this book, Small thinks evenbigger, producing a book which is not just essential reading for Scotland, but for the whole ofthe UK. - Rob Lowe29

Behind the Scenes: The OutdoorGardensBe enthused by our Outdoor Gardens horticulturalists thissummer on a behind the scenes tour exclusively for Membersand their guests.Learn first-hand how Eden flourishes and growsthroughout the seasons, and hear all about what isgrowing now and what is planned for the future. We willof course hope for sunshine but we would advise you todress appropriately for the weather on the day and wearcomfortable walking footwear.Wednesday 12 August 2015, 8.45-10am • Free forEden Project Members and one guest each.Olly MawsonBehind the Scenes: Plant InterpretationJoin our Plant Labels Lead, Olly Mawson, on an exclusivetour of plant interpretation labels at Eden. We are currentlyin the process of refreshing all of our plant labels onsite,and would love to give Members a unique insight into howEden’s ethos is reflected in our plant interpretation - aswell as hearing your thoughts on what areas you thinkneed particular improvement! This tour is likely to take ina variety of areas including our Outdoor Gardens and theBiomes.Wednesday 26 August, 9.30am - 10.30am • Free forEden Project Members and one guest each.Julian DonaldBehind the Scenes: Science at EdenJoin Julian Donald, a PhD student from the Universityof the West of England, to hear about his research andexperiments at Eden before he sets out on future research inMalaysian Borneo. Julian will be discussing his studies onthe role of insects in tropical forest habitats, previously inthe Amazon and more recently in our very own RainforestBiome. Attendees will also get the chance to view some ofhis experiments in action before getting the unique chanceto try some out for themselves!Monday 24 August 2015, 8.45-10am, RainforestBiome • Free for Eden Project Members and oneguest each.Our events are a great way to learn more about our work. Tomake a booking for any of our events please contact us onmembership@edenproject.com or call 01726 811932.Gardening in small spaces:Space need not be a limiting factor when you aregardening. Learn some tips, some inventive, some simple.To help you cope with patio gardens, courtyards andpocket-handkerchief-sized plots.1 August 2015, 10am–1.30pm • £30 per person.To book on this course and claim your 25% discount as an EdenProject Member, please contact our Box Office team on 01726811911 or email boxoffice@edenproject.com. To see a full listof our courses please visit: www.edenproject.com/learn/foreveryone/short-gardening-courses30

EDENPROJECTMEMBERSHIPJoin usBecome a Memberand discover morePay byDD andsave £5!Share more great days out with free entry for youand a family guest on every visitSave more with 10% off in Eden shops and othergreat discountsAccess more with priority booking and carparking, and free entry to partner attractionsIndividualIndividual Over 60JointJoint Over 60Family*Direct Debit£50£40£70£60£80*Family Membership also includes free entry for up to three familychildren aged 5-16 per visitCash or Card£55£45£75£65£85HOW TO JOINIn person at the Eden Project Visitor CentreOnline www.edenproject.com/membershipBy phone 01726 811932 (9am – 5pm, Monday to Friday)The Eden Project, an educational charity, connects us with each other and the livingworld, exploring how we can work towards a better future. Monies raisedsupports our education programmes and projects that catalyse change. Thank you for your support. www.edenproject.com Reg. charity no. 1093070 (The EdenTrust).

Horticulturalist Lucy Wengerand friends.